Mickey Mouse has had a very long history in video games, but one series of games that fans always come back to is the Illusion series. This series from Sega is widely considered some of Mickey’s best games and spawned spinoffs starring other characters like Donald Duck. Other developers would even take up with the Illusion name as a reference like the Epic Mikey spinoff Power of Illusion, and history has repeated again.
Disney Illusion Island is a new co-op game starring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald as they journey to the island of Monoth and are tasked with recovering three mystic books. The game lets you know right away what to expect, with jokes that kids probably would not be able to appreciate but older audiences would. Disney Illusion Island is a game for older fans of Mickey Mouse and Friends and those who appreciate the long history of the franchise and its characters.
The game does not play as you might expect, however, as this is actually a Metroidvania where you cannot attack enemies. You must constantly dodge while looking for ways forward, which may not sound interesting at first, but soon becomes a very engrossing experience. If anything, the game actually takes on elements of a precision platformer later on to a small extent, and you will quickly find yourself grateful for the abundant checkpoints.
You can take control of any of the four characters, and as a Donald Duck fan myself, I gravitated toward the ill-tempered waterfowl. They all play mostly the same, but within the story, there are neat touches that set each character apart, such as their movements and the way they get to use their new abilities. Co-op is a major component of the game, but it is perfectly playable by yourself as well, you just will not be able to access some of the co-op exclusive features such as letting ropes down for friends or hugging to restore health.
Many have raised an issue about the art style chosen for the game, as seen in the previews, but this is actually not a problem. In play, the game actually looks great visually, and the animations all feel exactly right. From Donald’s unique running, to Goofy’s jumps, the Disney charm is all here. Admittedly a lot of the game is a bit zoomed out to accommodate multiplayer, even when playing solo, but in sections where the camera zooms in, you can really appreciate the details and even in single player the game is still wonderful to look at.
One thing that may not be to everyone’s liking is the writing actually, but that is not to say it is bad. Some jokes just go on a little long or fall flat, but others are well done. There are also a lot of meta-humor and self-referential jokes and while some just do not work, some actually are very clever and help call to light some of the funny unspoken aspects of the franchise. In this way, Disney Illusion Island is a great celebration of everything Mickey Mouse and Friends and the collecting aspects play into this.
There are so many things to collect like glimts which are lights found throughout the game. Finding enough of them unlocks a part of an art piece and completing the piece will award you another heart to take more hits. There are also Tokuns, little cards to find containing the different characters and concepts, and bags of nostalgia that reference the entire history of the Mickey Mouse and Friends franchise. Lastly, there will be hidden Mickey Mouse icons to find, and while this all sounds simple, getting to everything can be a challenge and can test your patience, but the satisfaction when you accomplish this is extremely rewarding and I found myself unable to stop trying.
The various locations on Monoth all look varied and details but what is interesting is how the Metroidvania aspects are handled. Rather than some areas becoming completely ignorable after you finish one part of the game, you will constantly be going back to each area for new reasons once you get more abilities and things will feel a lot more open to you. One nice aspect of the game that is a great touch is how the game lets you know certain areas are inaccessible until you get abilities and to not bother trying to go there you.
This may sound obvious to say, but in many Metroidvanias people do try to get to areas before they are able to and can waste time. In fact, the game’s map marks most things of interest worth checking out and lets you know the best route to your objectives. Dlala Studios, known for their recent reboot of Battletoads, really went all out to make this a Metroidvania everyone could get into and that is appreciated.
Well everyone to an extent anyways. As mentioned earlier, Disney Illusion Island may start out simple but gradually gets harder to the point where minor punishment platformer elements do pop and collecting everything requires some precision. There is a good deal of challenge here and even the bosses have puzzle elements rather than traditional combat, so once again this is for older fans of Mickey Mouse and Friends, but it works. The later stages will constantly change things up and introduce new enemies and obstacles and keep you on your toes as you try to get by, and yet it remains fun and the game constantly gives you multiple difficulty options if you are ever struggling so there is little reason for frustration. If anything the varied difficulty options make this a game you can indeed give to young kids, but also older audiences will appreciate as well
There is a great charm to Disney Illusion Island and part of that is also the music. There are some great tunes throughout the game, and while some tunes play far more frequently (a bit too frequently in one case), most do not outstay their welcome. These tunes call to mind many of the best Mickey Mouse and Friends songs over the years, staying true to the game as a tribute.
While some of the jokes may not be the best, and the game may have some repeating tunes, overall Disney Illusion Island is a great game for Mickey Mouse and Friends. Getting the chance to play as your favourite characters and with a surprisingly details art style that works well, and fun gameplay, there is a lot of fun to be had. It is clear that Dlala Studios are very big fans of Disney in general and Mickey Mouse and Friends specifically and made this with as much care and attention as possible, and the amount of research and history in the game truly shows this is a labour of love. Disney Illusion Island is highly recommended to all!
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
[…] You can see our review of the game here […]